JACK WILSHERE is facing a battle to be fit for the World Cup after fracturing his foot as Roy Hodgson warned he will not gamble on the fitness of his players by taking crocks to Brazil.

Jack Wilshere will miss the majority of Arsenal's remaining games [GETTY]

The Arsenal midfielder’s injury misfortune resurfaced yet again as it emerged he suffered a hairline fracture of his left foot in England’s win over Denmark on Wednesday and will be out for six weeks.

Wilshere underwent scans yesterday which revealed a small crack to the navicular bone sustained during a full-blooded challenge with Liverpool’s Daniel Agger in the 12th minute of the 1-0 win at Wembley.

The diagnosis came as a shock to Wilshere who had insisted upon continuing after the clash before being substituted in the 59th minute by England coach Hodgson.

Wilshere hopes to be back for Arsenal’s final two games of the season, but given his history of fitness problems he knows he is facing a fight to make the tournament having also previously missed out on Euro 2012.

His quest for fitness comes with Hodgson vowing not to repeat the mistakes made by his predecessors who included injured players in their squads only to see the country’s prospects hampered as a result.

Wilshere has been an integral part of Arsenal's title challenge this season [GETTY]

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One thing I can tell you is that I don’t think any player would expect that, or for me to show loyalty at a time when they are not 100 per cent fit and might not do a good job over someone who is 100 per cent fit and can do a good job

Roy Hodgson

Hodgson names his 23 players for Brazil, plus the seven he wants on standby, on either May 12 or 13 and said the fierce competition for places – which is especially strong in midfield – means he will not risk players who are not fit.

“With the amount of people knocking quite heavily on the door, it would be a bit sad to leave someone who is 100 percent fit and in fantastic form out and fit in someone else who wasn’t fit and might just recover during the tournament,” said Hodgson, who has already lost Arsenal’s Theo Walcott to a cruciate knee injury.

“One thing I can tell you is that I don’t think any player would expect that, or for me to show loyalty at a time when they are not 100 per cent fit and might not do a good job over someone who is 100 per cent fit and can do a good job.”

A full blooded challenge with Daniel Agger was the cause of Wilshere's injury [GETTY]

As far back as the World Cup in Spain in 1982, Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking could only play in the final game, while David Beckham was feeling the effects of a broken metatarsal in 2002.

Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen went to the World Cup in 2006 with injury concerns, Rooney, Gareth Barry and Ledley King all had problems in 2010 and even at Euro 2012 Hodgson himself harboured doubts over Scott Parker’s fitness.

Wilshere had arrived at Arsenal’s training ground yesterday morning confident that he had sustained no lasting damage, but X-rays turned his world upside down and he is now wearing a surgical boot to protect the injury.

“Following initial scans carried out by the FA on Wednesday night, further investigation by Arsenal’s medical team has discovered a crack to a small bone in Jack’s left foot – the navicular, an area of his foot which has not been previously injured,” said a club statement.

“Jack will now require a period of approximately six weeks’ rehabilitation, before starting to regain his match fitness.”